WO2007048845A9 - Maximisation de la zone d'affichage de fenetres grace a l'extension de fenetres juxtaposees sans chevauchement - Google Patents

Maximisation de la zone d'affichage de fenetres grace a l'extension de fenetres juxtaposees sans chevauchement

Info

Publication number
WO2007048845A9
WO2007048845A9 PCT/EP2006/067877 EP2006067877W WO2007048845A9 WO 2007048845 A9 WO2007048845 A9 WO 2007048845A9 EP 2006067877 W EP2006067877 W EP 2006067877W WO 2007048845 A9 WO2007048845 A9 WO 2007048845A9
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
window
space
display screen
flowing
available
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/EP2006/067877
Other languages
English (en)
Other versions
WO2007048845B1 (fr
WO2007048845A2 (fr
WO2007048845A3 (fr
Inventor
Faisal Awada
Joe Nathan Brown
Philip Bernard Burkes
Original Assignee
Ibm
Ibm Uk
Faisal Awada
Joe Nathan Brown
Philip Bernard Burkes
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Ibm, Ibm Uk, Faisal Awada, Joe Nathan Brown, Philip Bernard Burkes filed Critical Ibm
Priority to JP2008537114A priority Critical patent/JP4829975B2/ja
Priority to KR1020087008999A priority patent/KR101119246B1/ko
Priority to EP06819172A priority patent/EP1949211B1/fr
Priority to DE602006005838T priority patent/DE602006005838D1/de
Priority to CN2006800394628A priority patent/CN101297263B/zh
Publication of WO2007048845A2 publication Critical patent/WO2007048845A2/fr
Publication of WO2007048845A3 publication Critical patent/WO2007048845A3/fr
Publication of WO2007048845B1 publication Critical patent/WO2007048845B1/fr
Publication of WO2007048845A9 publication Critical patent/WO2007048845A9/fr

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
    • G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
    • G06F3/048—Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
    • G06F3/0481—Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
    • G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
    • G06F3/048—Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
    • G06F3/0484—Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
    • G06F3/0485—Scrolling or panning
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
    • G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
    • G06F3/048—Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
    • G06F3/0484—Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
    • G06F3/0485—Scrolling or panning
    • G06F3/04855—Interaction with scrollbars
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F40/00—Handling natural language data
    • G06F40/10—Text processing
    • G06F40/103—Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F2203/00—Indexing scheme relating to G06F3/00 - G06F3/048
    • G06F2203/048—Indexing scheme relating to G06F3/048
    • G06F2203/04803—Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas

Definitions

  • the present invention rates generally to computer systems and in particular to the use of graphical windows within computer systems. Still more particularly the present invention relates to the orientation of 10 graphical windows on a display device of a computer system.
  • GUI graphical user interface
  • the display mode of the background operating system (OS) 25 is designed to allow the user to only interact with one current window (or file opened within the window) at a time, and thus the OS hides the previously opened windows "behind" the current window. As a result, there is only one window displayed on the display screen at one time.
  • OS background operating system
  • windows either overlap each other or are adjacent to each other within the display area with their respective dimensions adjusted to enable the windows to be concurrently displayed on the limited space display device.
  • the user desires to have one window designated as always being on top or viewable. This
  • 35 window may, for example, provide a video stream that is being watched by the user while working within another window. It is desirable to be able to maximize use of the viewable display space allocated to a second window when a first window, with dimensions smaller than the maximum display area, is designated to always be open and viewable.
  • a user is able to open multiple window displays and to view files within these windows by switching among windows .
  • the user may open multiple window displays of different applications, or the user may open multiple files within a single application program, with each file being 5 allocated a separate window.
  • users in order to simultaneously view each file in each window, users have to manually select the OS option "arrange all" from the application program menu to automatically arrange all windows to be viewed simultaneously. Alternatively, the user manually modifies the boundaries of each the
  • window displays to reduce the display area of each window and then manually arrange the windows to fit in one display screen.
  • the user may also view multiple window displays simultaneously by selecting the menu option "Tile, " which enables selection of either horizontal or vertical tile viewing mode.
  • the present invention accordingly provides, in a first aspect, in a data processing system, a method comprising: generating a first window
  • the second window is irregularly shaped relative to a standard rectangular window shape.
  • the output space is the space on a display screen of the data processing system, said method further comprising: displaying the
  • first window on the display screen said first window persistently occupying a first space on the display screen, which first space area has first and second linear dimensions that are less than the similarly-oriented, corresponding linear dimensions of the display screen; and displaying the second window in a second area of the display screen,
  • the second area corresponds to a contiguous portion of the available output space on the display screen with a first portion of the contiguous portion extending in the first linear dimension adjacent to the first window and a second portion of the contiguous portion extending in the second linear dimension adjacent to the second window.
  • the method preferably further comprises: providing a vertical scroll bar within the second window that extends only to an edge of the second window that is positioned along the right edge of the display screen; and enabling vertical scrolling of the content utilizing the 5 vertical scroll bar, wherein when the vertical scroll bar is shorter than the linear vertical dimension of the display screen, a portion of the vertically scrolled content moves up into an area of the second widow that is not adjacent to the right edge of the display screen.
  • said first window is opened subsequent to the second window, and said method comprises: responsive to a placement of the first window in an area of the display screen currently occupied by the second window, dynamically displacing the second window to occupy the remaining space around the area in which the first window is placed.
  • said configuring further comprises: configuring said second window to occupy an L-shaped space, wherein a particular position of the L is dependent on the location of the first window within the display space.
  • said configuring configures said second window to occupy the available space without overlapping the first window.
  • the method may further comprise: determining, prior to configuring 25 said second window, if window-flowing functionality is activated within a window generating system; when the window flowing functionality is activated, dynamically performing said configuring step; and when the window flowing functionality is not activated, enabling a user to select whether the second window should flow into the available space.
  • said enabling comprises: displaying the second window with a standard shape and dimension; providing a selectable feature for enabling the second window to be reconfigured to occupy the remaining available space of the display space; and when the user selects the 35 selectable feature, automatically reconfiguring the second window to occupy the remaining available space, wherein the second window is reconfigured into the irregular shaped window.
  • the selectable feature is a flow handle
  • the 40 flow handle is provided in at least one the direction in which the window may be reconfigured, said method further comprising: enabling user-selection and dragging of the flow handle; and automatically reconfiguring a border of the window corresponding to the location of the flow handle to move into and out of the available space depending on the direction in which the user moves the flow handle. 5
  • a computer program comprising computer program code to, when loaded into a computer system and executed thereon, cause said computer system to perform all the steps of the method of the first aspect.
  • the computer program of the second aspect may be provided in the form of a computer program product comprising: a computer readable medium; and program code on the computer readable medium that when executed completes the functions of: generating a first window that persistently
  • 20 second window is irregularly shaped relative to a standard rectangular window shape .
  • the output space is the space on a display screen of the data processing system, said program code further comprising code for:
  • said first window persistently occupying a first space on the display screen, which first space area has first and second linear dimensions that are less than the similarly-oriented, corresponding linear dimensions of the display screen; and displaying the second window in a second area of the display screen,
  • the second area corresponds to a contiguous portion of the available output space on the display screen with a first portion of the contiguous portion extending in the first linear dimension adjacent to the first window and a second portion of the contiguous portion extending in the second linear dimension adjacent to the second window.
  • the computer program product may further comprise program code that when executed completes the functions of: providing a vertical scroll bar within the second window that extends only to an edge of the second window that is positioned along the right edge of the display screen; and
  • said first window is opened subsequent to the second window, said program code comprising code for: responsive to a placement of the first window in an area of the display screen currently occupied by the second window, dynamically displacing the second window to occupy the remaining space around the area in which the first window is placed.
  • said program code for configuring further comprises code for: configuring said second window to occupy an L-shaped space, wherein a particular position of the L is dependent on the location of the first window within the display space.
  • said program code for configuring completes the function of configuring said second window to occupy the available space without overlapping the first window.
  • the computer program product may further comprise program code for: determining, prior to configuring said second window, if window-flowing functionality is activated within a window generating system; when the window flowing functionality is activated, dynamically performing said configuring step; and when the window flowing functionality is not
  • said program code for enabling comprises code for: displaying the second window with a standard shape and dimension;
  • the selectable feature is a flow handle, and wherein the flow handle is provided in at least one direction in which the window may be reconfigured, said program code comprising code for: enabling 40 user-selection and dragging of the flow handle; and automatically reconfiguring a border of the window corresponding to the location of the flow handle to move into and out of the available space depending on the direction in which the user moves the flow handle.
  • a data processing system 5 comprising: a processor; a storage device coupled to the processor and having stored thereon software code that when executed by the processor completes the functions of: generating a first window that persistently occupies a set, first space of a total output space, said first space having first and second linear dimensions that are less than the
  • the output space is the space on a display screen of the data processing system
  • said program code further comprising code for: displaying the first window on the display screen, said first window persistently occupying a first space on the display screen, which first
  • space area has first and second linear dimensions that are less than the similarly-oriented, corresponding linear dimensions of the display screen; and displaying the second window in a second area of the display screen, wherein the second area corresponds to a contiguous portion of the available output space on the display screen with a first portion of the
  • said program code further comprises code for: providing 30 a vertical scroll bar within the second window that extends only to an edge of the second window that is positioned along the right edge of the display screen; and enabling vertical scrolling of the content utilizing the vertical scroll bar, wherein when the vertical scroll bar is shorter than the linear vertical dimension of the display screen, a portion of the 35 vertically scrolled content moves up into an area of the second widow that is not adjacent to the right edge of the display screen; wherein, when said first window is opened subsequent to the second window, said program code comprising code for, responsive to a placement of the first window in an area of the display screen currently occupied by the second window, 40 dynamically displacing the second window to occupy the remaining space around the area in which the first window is placed; wherein said program code for configuring completes the function of configuring said second window to occupy the available space without overlapping the first window.
  • the data processing system may further comprise program code that when executed by the processor completes the functions of: determining, prior to configuring said second window, if window-flowing functionality is activated within a window generating system; when the window flowing functionality is activated, dynamically performing said configuring step;
  • said program code for enabling comprises code for: displaying the second window with a standard shape and dimension; providing a selectable feature for enabling the second window to be
  • the selectable feature is a flow handle
  • the flow handle is provided in at least one the direction in which the window may be reconfigured and said program code comprises code for: enabling user-selection and dragging of the flow handle; and automatically
  • a method, system, and a computer program that 30 preferably enable a second window opened on a display screen to "flow" into and fill/occupy available contiguous space within the displayable area of the display screen without overlapping a first window occupying less than the maximum width and/or length of the display area.
  • a window flowing utility is provided that when executed by the computer processor, 35 enables multiple windows to be concurrently displayed and fill the maximum displayable area of the display screen. The window flowing utility determines which areas of the display screen are not currently being utilized by the first window, and the window flowing utility allows the second window to occupy all of the contiguous available space remaining on 40 the display device surrounding the first window.
  • window flowing is implemented to maximize a window's useable area, under specific circumstances, including: (1) a first window is open that must always be visible (i.e., a persistent window); (2) the first window's vertical and/or horizontal dimension is a 5 fraction of that of the maximum vertical and/or horizontal dimension of the display screen (and of the second window) . That is, the first window is only a fraction of one or both of the maximum vertical and horizontal display dimensions; and (3) the windows are placed side by side or one above the other, with an overhanging area of the second window extending 10 vertically or horizontally beyond one of the corresponding vertical or horizontal edges of first window, i.e., either over or below or adjacent to available contiguous space of the display screen that is not occupied by the first window.
  • the order of opening the windows is not particularly relevant to implementation of the invention.
  • the second window may be automatically made to flow into the available contiguous space.
  • window flowing is triggered by user selection
  • the existing display of windows may be then (dynamically or manually) reconfigured relative to each other to enable one or more of the windows to flow into existing contiguous space on the display screen.
  • Figure 1 is a block diagram representation of a display device with a display area having a single persistent window
  • Figures 2A and 2B are block diagram representations of a display device with a display area having the persistent window and a second open window after selection of the "arrange all" option from the application program menu or manual adjustments by a user, according to the prior art;
  • Figures 3A and 3B are block diagram representations of two windows displayed within the display screen using window flowing techniques according to embodiments of the present invention;
  • Figure 4 is a block diagram representation of a data processing system within which the various features of the invention may be implemented;
  • Figure 5 is a flow chart of the processes that enable implementation 10 of window flowing of a second open window into the display area, according to the one embodiment of the invention
  • Figures 6A and 6B are block diagram representations of two windows displayed within the display screen with one window having a flow control 15 handle that enables user-manipulation of the flow design of the window, in accordance with embodiments of the invention.
  • Figure 7 illustrates a series of possible window flowing configurations for two open windows, with a first persistent window 20 according to embodiments of the invention.
  • the present invention provides a method, system, and a computer
  • a window flowing utility is provided that when executed by the computer 30 processor, enables multiple windows to be concurrently displayed and fill the maximum displayable area of the display screen.
  • the window flowing utility determines which areas of the display screen are not currently being utilized by the first window, and the window flowing utility allows the second window to occupy all of the contiguous available space 35 remaining on the display device surrounding the first window.
  • window flowing is implemented to maximize a window's useable area, under specific circumstances, including: (1) a first window is open that must always be visible (i.e., a persistent 40 window); (2) the first window's vertical and/or horizontal dimension is a 10
  • the first window is only a fraction of one or both of the maximum vertical and horizontal display dimensions; and (3) the windows are placed side by side or one 5 above the other, with an overhanging area of the second window extending vertically or horizontally beyond one of the corresponding vertical or horizontal edges of first window, i.e., either over or below or adjacent to available contiguous space of the display screen that is not occupied by the first window.
  • the order of opening the windows is not particularly relevant to implementation of the invention.
  • the second window is automatically made to flow into the available contiguous space.
  • the second window is automatically made to flow into the available contiguous space.
  • window flowing is triggered by user selection (turning on) of that feature, and the existing display of windows may be then (dynamically or manually) reconfigured relative to each other to enable one or more of the windows to flow into existing contiguous space on the display screen.
  • Computer system 100 comprises processor 410 coupled to memory 420 and input/output (I/O) controller 415 via a system bus 405.
  • I/O controller 415 provides the
  • Display device 418 may be one of a plurality of different types of display devices conventionally utilized by a computing device, and display device 418 provides a display screen, viewable by a user of the computing device. Display device 418
  • Computer system 100 also comprises a network interface device 117 utilized to connect computer system 100 to another computer system and/or computer network (not shown) .
  • OS 430 and software applications 435 execute on processor 410
  • GUIs graphical user interfaces
  • the processor 410 executes various application programs 435 (e.g., word processing programs, World Wide Web (WWW) browser programs, etc.), as well as the window-based OS (e.g., Microsoft Windows®, a trademark of Microsoft 5 Corporation) that supports the application programs.
  • the OS 430 includes an application program interface (API) that the applications utilize to invoke various OS services such as opening, closing, and repositioning of the application's windows.
  • the OS 430 also includes a user interface, or shell, for processing user input.
  • the application 10 programs and the operating system exchange various messages.
  • the OS 430 enables the windowing functionality by which the GUIs generated by the OS and/or the applications 435 are displayed on a display screen (of the display device 418) .
  • the GUIs are
  • window flowing utility 437 is programmed into the OS 430 and enables the OS 430 to provide the various window flowing features described herein.
  • functionality of the window flowing utility 437 is
  • window flowing functionality may be turned on or off during set up or installation of the OS, during setup or installation of a
  • window flowing utility which generates a prompt to the user requesting the user select to turn on window flowing or turn off window flowing.
  • not al applications may be supported by window
  • window flowing utility the functionality associated with the invention is not necessarily limited to implementation with a utility specifically named as "window flowing" as long as the functionality of window flowing is provided by the computer system via some software control.
  • window flowing may be programmed into an individual
  • computer system also comprises a 5 graphics subsystem 440, which includes a graphics processor 442 and graphics memory 444.
  • Graphics memory 444 includes a display memory 446 (e.g., a frame buffer) used for storing pixel data for each pixel of display device 418. Pixel data can be provided to display memory 444 directly from CPU 410. Alternatively, CPU 410 may provide graphics 10 processor 442 with geometry data from which graphics processor 442 generates pixel data. The pixel data is periodically scanned out from display memory 444 and displayed on display device 418.
  • Computer system 400 15 are of generally conventional design.
  • Computer system 400 may also include other components (not shown) such as fixed disk drives, removable disk drives, CD and/or DVD drives, audio components, modems, network interface components, and the like. It will therefore be appreciated that the system described herein is illustrative and that variations and
  • the invention is applicable to not only a full computer system but may also be implemented in a portable computing system.
  • PDA personal digital assistant
  • cell phone cell phone
  • mainframe type devices so long as the device has a display and supports windowing.
  • Figure 1 illustrates a display screen 105 in which a single first 40 window, windowl 110 is displayed.
  • Display screen 100 has a large amount 13
  • windowl 110 is assumed to be persistently displayed on display screen 105, regardless of what other windows may be opened on the display screen.
  • windowl 110 is 5 assumed to have a preset size and shape, with dimensions that are less than the vertical or horizontal dimensions of display screen 105.
  • windowl 110 is illustrated as rectangular, the functional features of the invention may be applied to a different shaped first window (e.g., a round windowl), in other embodiments.
  • 10 windowl 110 is illustrated as occupying the top right corner of the available display space, other embodiments of the invention are provided below in which windowl 110 occupies a different location within display space .
  • Figures 2A-2B illustrate conventional handling of concurrently displaying multiple windows within the display device when the windows do not completely fill the available display area of the display device.
  • window2 115 When a second window, window2 115, is opened, as shown by Figures 2A-2B, window2 115 opens alongside windowl 110 with its own (different)
  • This conventional method enables both windows to be displayed without overlap of the window edges (or larger portions) within the display screen. As shown, the two adjacent windows maintain their respective dimensions (typically square or rectangular) , and there is some available space below windowl 110 that is not being utilized by either
  • Figure 2B illustrates another conventional display scenario, where the two windows overlap at some point even though there is available space below windowl 110.
  • 30 windowl 110 is assumed to be a window that is to remain open as a viewable window on the display screen regardless of which other windows are opened.
  • any subsequent window that is open must not overlap that 35 window.
  • the first window only occupies a small portion of the display space relative to the second window, there may be an unused display area extending from one or more of the perimeter edges of the first window to the exterior edges of the display screen.
  • the OS function that controls opening 5 of windows within the display space determines the display area not being utilized by a first open window and then the OS function creates an irregular-shaped second window that flows around the first window into the unused area of the display space. The window flowing of the second window then maximizes the amount of display area utilized by the second window 10 while the first window remains visible.
  • the illustrative embodiment provides at least two different (of multiple) window flowing orientations that may be implemented by the window flowing utility.
  • Figure 3A illustrates horizontal window flowing
  • Figure 3B illustrates vertical window flowing.
  • primary portion of window2 315 is oriented vertically along the left side of windowl 110 while extended portion is oriented horizontally below windowl 310.
  • the scroll bar 325 is situated in a raid-vertical orientation to enable the user to scroll down or up the page, despite the window's
  • Figure 3B displays window2 315 horizontally above windowl 310 and oriented vertically along the right side of windowl 110. Since the entire right side of the display space is available to window2 315, the scroll bar 325 is situated in a full-vertical orientation from the top to the bottom of the display
  • window2 315 is displaying text, fox example, the text is wrapped around the image of windowl 310 somewhat similarly to a newspaper article oriented around pictures/images/other articles on a page.
  • the window flowing configuration illustrated may be referred to as 30 an L flow and reversed L flow because window2 makes an L shape and a reversed L shape around windowl.
  • other types of window flowing configurations are possible, including for example, but without limitation the following: an upside-down L flow, a reversed, upside-down L flow, a doughnut flow (for windowl is circular and oriented in the center of the 35 screen), a square doughnut flow, a rectangular doughnut flow, etc.
  • the window flowing features is applicable to display of more than two windows, with two windows being utilized herein 40 solely to simplify the description of the core functional features. 15
  • FIG. 5 provides a flow chart of the process by which the window flowing features are implemented according to one embodiment.
  • the process begins at block 502, which shows a user opening a 5 first persistent window (wmdowl), which occupies a first location/area on the display screen and is not overlaid by other windows opened on the display screen.
  • the window flowing utility detects the opening of a second window (wmdow2) (via an input from a user or application) at block 504.
  • a determination is then made at block 506 whether window flowing
  • the activation of window flowing may be via (1) user selection during setup of the operating system; (2) user selection during setup of the application; (3) user selection post-opening of the window via a pull down menu or other selection process; and (4) automatic loading of the utility into the OS during installation on the computer
  • window flowing feature is activated/enabled or wmdowl is open in a persistent state on the display screen such that the available area is not a custom (square or rectangular) shape
  • the window flowing feature is 20 automatically triggered at block 512 to open the second window to fill in the available contiguous area of the display space.
  • the scroll bar is assigned based on the resulting shape of the second window as shown at block 514.
  • window2 is opened within a rectangular/square shaped area without flowing into spaces around the first window, as indicated at block 508. Depending on the size of wmdow2, window2 may overlap all or portions of wmdowl. Then the process
  • one embodiment of the invention provides the flowing of the first window when the second window 35 is the window requiring a persistent presence on the display device (or a window whose shape cannot or should not be reoriented) . This embodiment also assumes that the first window has no such restrictions with respect to shape/size.
  • the window flowing utility enhances 5 the windowing functions performed by the OS by providing windows with flow handles that allow the user to manually flow (drag) the window into unused/available contiguous display area(s).
  • window2 has a flow handle 602 (shown as 10 similar to a grab handle of a PDF document) that may be grabbed and pull in one of two possible horizontal directions by a user.
  • the flow handle 602 is provided at the appropriate edge of the window depending on the location of the unused space relative to window2 315.
  • Figure 6A illustrates window2 315 before the user drags the side of the window 15 horizontally across the available display space 620.
  • Figure 3A shows window2 315 with the bottom portion flowing across the bottom of windowl 310.
  • Figure 6B then illustrates window2 315 before the user drags the bottom of the window vertically down the available display space 620.
  • the first persistent window may be located at any of a plurality of positions/locations within the display screen
  • different embodiments of the invention support different configurations of the second window via window flowing.
  • the second window is irregularly shaped (i.e., not square or rectangular
  • Figure 7 As shown, for example, when the first window has a rectangular or square shape and is position against one of the edges of the display screen, the available space (and thus the second window) may be either forward or reversed, right-side up or upside-down L shaped.
  • the available space may be a round or square doughnut shape, or one of a U shape, upside down or sideways U shape.
  • Other configurations of the second window are possible based on the location of the first window, the shape of the available contiguous space, the type of information being
  • a second window displaying text would best be represented as an L-shaped window rather than a doughnut shaped (or even a U shaped) window.
  • a logical extension of the U shaped design one embodiment of the invention enables the second window to be represented by two noncontiguous
  • the invention finds applicability in typical windowing environments and applications that provide windows to display files/documents, etc.
  • the invention is also applicable to web browsers, where a user may require 5 multiple browsers be simultaneously open on the display screen.
  • a window displaying streaming video content may be an example of a window that is desired to remain in a persistent state on the display screen.
  • Such windows are often smaller in size than the available area of the display screen. Users are thus able to maximize the use of the display screen
  • User activated second windows may also be made to flow into available space when the main window remains open on the display screen. For example, an email inbox would remain visible while the content of an individual email is opened in another location of the

Abstract

L'invention concerne un procédé, un système et un produit-programme informatique permettant à une seconde fenêtre ouverte sur un écran d'affichage de s'étendre pour venir combler/occuper tout l'espace disponible dans la zone visualisable de l'écran d'affichage sans chevaucher une première fenêtre n'occupant pas la largeur et/ou longueur maximale de la zone d'affichage. Un utilitaire d'extension de fenêtres juxtaposées sans chevauchement permet à plusieurs fenêtres de coexister simultanément et de remplir la zone visualisable maximale de l'écran d'affichage. Cet utilitaire d'extension de fenêtres juxtaposées sans chevauchement détermine les zones de l'écran d'affichage qui ne sont pas en cours d'utilisation pas la première fenêtre et permet à la seconde fenêtre d'occuper tout l'espace disponible restant sur le dispositif d'affichage autour de la première fenêtre.
PCT/EP2006/067877 2005-10-27 2006-10-27 Maximisation de la zone d'affichage de fenetres grace a l'extension de fenetres juxtaposees sans chevauchement WO2007048845A2 (fr)

Priority Applications (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP2008537114A JP4829975B2 (ja) 2005-10-27 2006-10-27 ウィンドウ・フロー操作を使用してウィンドウ表示領域を最大化する方法、コンピュータ・プログラム、及びシステム（ウィンドウ・フロー操作を使用したウィンドウ表示領域の最大化）
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US20070101289A1 (en) 2007-05-03
EP1949211A2 (fr) 2008-07-30
CN101297263B (zh) 2010-10-13
TWI409689B (zh) 2013-09-21
KR20080059209A (ko) 2008-06-26
ATE426201T1 (de) 2009-04-15
WO2007048845B1 (fr) 2007-09-07
KR101119246B1 (ko) 2012-03-15
JP4829975B2 (ja) 2011-12-07
CN101297263A (zh) 2008-10-29
US7437678B2 (en) 2008-10-14
WO2007048845A2 (fr) 2007-05-03
JP2009514080A (ja) 2009-04-02
DE602006005838D1 (de) 2009-04-30
EP1949211B1 (fr) 2009-03-18
WO2007048845A3 (fr) 2007-07-05

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